System and method for gathering data from wireless communications networks

• US 7,013,136 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US), LLC
• Original Assignee: Telephia Incorporated (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Heidohrn, Mark, Frangione, Tom, Oyler, John, Peyrat, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US10/230,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20030064722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/403, 455/433, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/445, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/423, 455/434, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/446, 455/448, 455/454, 455/455, 455/500, 455/517, 455/516, 455/67.11, 455/560
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A system and method for gathering data from wireless communication networks, the wireless communication network including a plurality of cell sites, mobile subscriber units, and a mobile telephone switching office. The data gathering system comprises a plurality of data gathering nodes and a control center. Each data gathering node comprises multiple receivers, with each receiver gathering data from a different wireless communication network. Stored data at the control center is processed to generate marketing information on each wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A method for gathering data from a plurality of wireless communication networks comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of data gathering nodes at various geographic locations in a plurality of wireless communication networks;

gathering data at said plurality of data gathering nodes from each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

processing the data at a control center; and

using a data mining application to process the data gathered by said plurality of data gathering nodes to produce marketing and usage characterization information,

wherein said step of processing the data at said control center to produce marketing information on each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks comprises calculating the share of subscribers for each wireless communication network for a given time period, and

wherein said method of calculating the share of subscribers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks for a given time period comprises;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and counting a base number of different unique subscriber identifiers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

extrapolating the base number of different unique subscriber identifiers for each wireless communication network to an adjusted number of unique subscriber identifiers;

summing the number of adjusted unique subscriber identifiers counted for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks to produce a total number of subscribers for said plurality of wireless communication networks; and

dividing the number of adjusted unique subscriber identifiers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks by said total number of subscribers for said plurality of wireless communication networks.

2. A method for gathering data from a plurality of wireless communication networks comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of data gathering nodes at various geographic locations in a plurality of wireless communication networks;

gathering data at said plurality of data gathering nodes from each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

processing the data at a control center; and

using a data mining application to process the data gathered by said plurality of data gathering nodes to produce marketing and usage characterization information,

wherein said step of processing the data at said control center to produce marketing information on each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks comprises calculating the number of new subscribers each wireless communication network added during a given time period, and

wherein said step of calculating the number of new subscribers for each wireless communication network added during a given time period comprises;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during a prior time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

comparing the list of unique subscriber identifiers for the given time period to the prior time period and counting the number of new unique subscriber identifiers that appear in the given time period but not the prior time period; and

extrapolating said number of new unique subscriber identifiers to an adjusted number of new unique subscriber identifiers.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of deploying a plurality of data gathering nodes at various geographic locations in a plurality of wireless networks comprises the steps of placing at least one data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes in each location area of each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless networks.

4. A method for gathering data from a plurality of wireless communication networks comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of data gathering nodes at various geographic locations in a plurality of wireless communication networks;

gathering data at said plurality of data gathering nodes from each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

processing the data at a control center; and

using a data mining application to process the data gathered by said plurality of data gathering nodes to produce marketing and usage characterization information,

wherein said step of processing the data at said control center to produce marketing information on each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks comprises calculating the number of churning subscribers who canceled service for each wireless communication network during a given time period, and

wherein said step of calculating the number of churning subscribers who canceled service for each wireless communication network during a given time period comprises;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during a prior time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

comparing the list of unique subscriber identifiers for the prior time period to the given time period and counting the number of churning unique subscriber identifiers that appear in the prior time period but not the given time period; and

extrapolating said number of churning subscribers to an adjusted number of churning subscribers.

5. A method for gathering data from a plurality of wireless communication networks comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of data gathering nodes at various geographic locations in a plurality of wireless communication networks;

gathering data at said plurality of data gathering nodes from each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

processing the data at a control center; and

using a data mining application to process the data gathered by said plurality of data gathering nodes to produce marketing and usage characterization information,

wherein said step of processing the data at said control center to produce marketing information on each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks comprises calculating the share of calls made by subscribers of each wireless communication network for a given time period, and

wherein said step of calculating the share of subscriber calls made for each wireless communication network for a given time period comprises;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and counting the number of traffic channel assignments made by each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

extrapolating said number of counted traffic channel assignments to a total number of subscriber calls for the given time period for each wireless communication network;

summing the total number of subscriber calls extrapolated for the given time period for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks to produce a total number of subscribers calls for said plurality of wireless communication networks; and

dividing said total number of subscriber calls for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks by said total number of calls for said plurality of wireless communication networks.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the number of traffic channel assignments counted does not include traffic channel assignments made to roaming subscribers.

7. A method for gathering data from a plurality of wireless communication networks comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of data gathering nodes at various geographic locations in a plurality of wireless communication networks;

gathering data at said plurality of data gathering nodes from each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

processing the data at a control center; and

using a data mining application to process the data gathered by said plurality of data gathering nodes to produce marketing and usage characterization information,

wherein said step of processing the data at said control center to produce marketing information on each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks comprises calculating the share of roamers of each wireless communication network for a given time period, and

wherein said step of calculating the share of roamers for each wireless communication network for a given time period comprises;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and counting a base number of roamers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

extrapolating the base number of roamers for each wireless communication network to an adjusted number of roamers;

summing the number of adjusted roamers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks to produce a total number of roamers for said plurality of wireless communication networks; and

dividing the adjusted number of roamers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks by said total number of subscribers for said plurality of wireless communication networks.

8. A method for gathering data from a plurality of wireless communication networks comprising the steps of:

deploying a plurality of data gathering nodes at various geographic locations in a plurality of wireless communication networks;

gathering data at said plurality of data gathering nodes from each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

processing the data at a control center; and

using a data mining application to process the data gathered by said plurality of data gathering nodes to produce marketing and usage characterization information,

wherein said step of processing the data at said control center to produce marketing information on each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks comprises profiling the quality of subscribers for each wireless communication network, and

wherein said step of profiling the quality of subscribers for each wireless communication network for a given time period comprises;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node and identifying the different unique subscriber identifiers corresponding to the type of subscriber to be profiled for each wireless communication network;

counting the number of traffic channel assignments made to each said unique subscriber identifier;

counting the total number of said different unique subscriber identifiers for all wireless communication networks;

dividing said total number for all wireless communication networks into subunits according to the number of traffic channel assignments made; and

for each subunit, calculating the market share percentage of number of subscribers for each wireless communication network in the subunit.

9. A method for processing a data file gathered from a plurality of wireless communication networks to calculate the share of subscribers for each wireless communication network for a given time period, said method comprising the steps of:

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and counting a base number of different unique subscriber identifiers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

extrapolating the base number of different unique subscriber identifiers for each wireless communication network to an adjusted number of unique subscriber identifiers;

summing the number of adjusted unique subscriber identifiers counted for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks to produce a total number of subscribers for said plurality of wireless communication networks; and

dividing the number of adjusted unique subscriber identifiers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks by said total number of subscribers for said plurality of wireless communication networks.

10. A method for processing a data file gathered from a plurality of wireless communication networks to calculate the number of new subscribers each wireless communication network added during a given time period, said method comprising the steps of:

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during a prior time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

comparing the list of unique subscriber identifiers for the given time period to the prior time period and counting the number of new unique subscriber identifiers that appear in the given time period but not the prior time period; and

extrapolating said number of new unique subscriber identifiers to an adjusted number of new unique subscriber identifiers.

11. A method for processing a data file gathered from a plurality of wireless communication networks to calculate the number of churning subscribers who canceled service for each wireless communication network during a given time period, said method comprising the steps of:

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during a prior time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and generating a list of unique subscriber identifiers;

comparing the list of unique subscriber identifiers for the prior time period to the given time period and counting the number of churning unique subscriber identifiers that appear in the prior time period but not the given time period; and

extrapolating said number of churning subscribers to an adjusted number of churning subscribers.

12. A method for processing a data file gathered from a plurality of wireless communication networks to calculate the share of subscriber calls made for each wireless communication network for a given time period, said method comprising the steps of:

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and counting the number of traffic channel assignments made by each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

extrapolating said number of counted traffic channel assignments to a total number of subscriber calls for the given time period for each wireless communication network;

summing the total number of subscriber calls extrapolated for the given time period for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks to produce a total number of subscribers calls for said plurality of wireless communication networks; and

dividing said total number of subscriber calls for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks by said total number of calls for said plurality of wireless communication networks.

13. A method for processing a data file gathered from a plurality of wireless communication networks to calculate the share of roamers for each wireless communication network for a given time period, said method comprising the steps of:

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node of said plurality of data gathering nodes during the given time period and counting a base number of roamers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks;

extrapolating the base number of roamers for each wireless communication network to an adjusted number of roamers;

summing the number of adjusted roamers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks to produce a total number of roamers for said plurality of wireless communication networks; and

dividing the adjusted number of roamers for each wireless communication network of said plurality of wireless communication networks by said total number of subscribers for said plurality of wireless communication networks.

14. A method for processing a data file gathered from a plurality of wireless communication networks to profile the quality of subscribers for each wireless communication network for a given time period comprises:

sorting through the data gathered from each data gathering node and identifying the different unique subscriber identifiers corresponding to the type of subscriber to be profiled for each wireless communication network;

counting the number of traffic channel assignments made to each said unique subscriber identifier;

counting the total number of said different unique subscriber identifiers for all wireless communication networks;

dividing said total number for all wireless communication networks into subunits according to the number of traffic channel assignments made; and

for each subunit, calculating the market share percentage of number of subscribers for each wireless communication network in the subunit.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said type of subscribers comprise new, churning, and base subscribers.